The ground was the scene of the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April 1989, in which 97 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

The club's plans to renovate the stadium and expand the capacity to 44,825 have been approved by Sheffield City Council with the aim of hosting World Cup matches.

The first FA Cup semi-final to be held at the stadium was a replay between West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers on 3 April 1912.

On 15 April 1989, the ground was the scene of the worst tragedy in English sporting history when Liverpool faced Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final.

Official investigations criticised Sheffield Wednesday for not acting upon previous incidents (especially the 1981 FA Cup semi-final) that had shown the potential for crushing at Hillsborough.

The terraces at Hillsborough were converted to all seated accommodation over the following four years, and the fences around the pitch were replaced with low safety-barricades to allow incursion onto the playing surface in case of emergency.

Outside the ground, near the main entrance on Parkside Road, is a memorial to the 96 fans that lost their lives at Hillsborough in 1989, during the FA Cup Semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

The record attendance since the ground was made all-seated was on 2 February 2000 in a Premier League game against Manchester United watched by 39,640 fans.

[19] The clean-up effort took months, although Sheffield Wednesday fixtures were only slightly affected as the floods occurred in the close season.

It was unique at the time, as it had facilities for both men and women, and a slight semicircle which gave a good view of the pitch at any angle (though the supporting pillars did cause some obstruction).

Following the formal opening of the stand in August 1961, a celebration match was played on 22 October 1961 when Wednesday met Santos of Brazil with their new star Pele in the team.

When opened, the stand held 10,000 but the capacity has been reduced more recently to make room for spectators with disabilities and also to widen the exit aisles for safety.

After the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 the lower tier terrace was closed for two years and its fencing covered with blue tarp[22] for the remainder of the 1988–89 season.

During the 2012–13 season the first row of seats was removed from the lower tier, after an incident involving Leeds United supporters when a minor pitch invasion took place.

The modern stand has seen a series of improvements, the first being a conversion to an all-seated stand in 1965 ahead of the 1966 FIFA World Cup and latest being a major £7 million re-development for the Euro 1996 international competition when an upper tier (Grandstand) of 3,077 extra seats, a new roof, 30 executive boxes, two conference suites, a bar, a restaurant and a range of office space were added.

In common with several large terraces at English football grounds, it was given this name by supporters, after a hill that was the scene of a battle in the Second Boer War.

However, for the 1989–90 season, the gates allowing egress to the pitch were painted white and kept open throughout all matches, including the Steel City derby on 21 November 1989.

[30] The Kop was the last part of the Wednesday ground to be converted to all-seater accommodation, the change finally coming in 1993 to comply with new FA Premier League regulations following the Taylor Report.

[31] In recent years it had only been used as overspill for away fans when both the upper and lower tiers of the West Stand have been filled, however in the 2011–12 season, with Wednesday needing to better or match the result of their neighbours to gain promotion on the final day of the season, the Corner was opened to visiting Wycombe Wanderers fans, with the West Stand used by home supporters.

This corner is to be roofed, under the Hillsborough stadium Upgrade plans, yet no work has yet been done, due to owners of the nearby terraces complaining.

The Spion Kop backs straight onto Penistone Road, a major dual carriageway leading to the city centre, while there is some space between the West Stand and Leppings Lane.

Sheffield Wednesday announced in the summer of 2009 plans for a £22 million upgrade of the stadium and an increase in capacity to 44,825 from the current 39,732 with no viewing restrictions.

Planning permission was granted for the entire scheme on 20 October 2009 but due to England not winning the World Cup 2018 bid, redevelopment has been put on hold.

[33] The new LED floodlights were installed on the North and South stands of Hillsborough, delivering a higher standard of lighting that met the requirements for both League One and the Championship.

The installation of the new system included 60 LED floodlights and a Light show feature, significantly enhancing the matchday experience for fans.

[36] The highest attendance recorded since work to convert the stadium to an all-seater venue was completed in 1993 was for a Premier League match against Manchester United on 2 February 2000.

[citation needed] The largest gate receipts taken from a match at Hillsborough was for the Euro 96 game between Turkey and Denmark on 19 June 1996.

The largest receipts for a club game at Hillsborough were for the FA Cup semi-final replay between Chesterfield and Middlesbrough on 22 April 1997 and totalled £680,965.

[37] The highest receipts for a game at Hillsborough involving Sheffield Wednesday was for the Premier League match against Manchester United on 7 March 1998, which was watched by 39,427 fans[38] and earned the club £386,426.

Hillsborough Stadium was selected by The FA as a proposed venue for matches as part of the English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid on 16 December 2009.